New Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has thanked Ruth Davidson for her “outstanding” work as leader of the Tories in Scotland.

Mr Jack, who took over from David Mundell after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, said her “leadership has been inspirational and transformational”.

His comments came despite Ms Davidson having lobbied the PM to keep Mr Mundell in the job.

Mr Jack, one of 13 Scottish Conservative MPs elected in 2017, said: “Ruth Davidson has been an outstanding leader of the Scottish Conservatives for nearly eight years and I want to put on record my thanks for everything she has achieved.

“Her leadership has been inspirational and transformational.

She is a huge loss but she steps down with an incredibly impressive record of achievement to look back on and I wish her my very wishes for the future
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack

“She has inspired a new generation of Scottish Conservative politicians, activists and supporters – and in turn that has transformed our party’s fortunes.

“In short, she has made the Scottish Conservatives the only credible challenger to the SNP in Scotland.”

He added: “It is thanks to Ruth that we have become the official opposition at Holyrood, holding Nicola Sturgeon’s failing, high-tax, independence-obsessed administration to account so effectively.

“It’s also thanks to Ruth that we have a strong complement of 13 Scottish Conservative MPs standing up for Scotland’s interests at Westminster.”

Mr Jack continued: “At the heart of Ruth’s success has been her brilliance as a communicator and her passion for strengthening Scotland’s place in the UK.

“She has consistently articulated a positive vision of the Union and that is why she played such an important role in the successful 2014 campaign to stay part of the UK and why a majority of Scots continue to oppose a second independence referendum.

“She is a huge loss but she steps down with an incredibly impressive record of achievement to look back on and I wish her my very wishes for the future.”